She is a creator
She is a fearless warrior
She is selfless caring and loving She never gives up on her children
She is strong, talented and intelligent
She faces all odds to break through barriers
She is ambitious and determined to make an impact
I open up my story by asking a simple question to myself what is so special that the above description is only about a Woman and not a Man.
The truth is, what she can do, what she is made up of and what she lives through to nurture life in her womb up to safe keeping and care with compassion is something only a woman is capable of.
That is why she is the creator who is entrusted to give birth to the human race.
I share here a story of my “mother” who has been an inspiration, and I owe my being who I am to her.
Every word i say above is what she was & lived her life as, through the roller coaster journey called LIFE right up to her last day with us …
Her own childhood was full of challenges & losing her parents early on only made it worse. She was living & growing up with her grandmother in eastern Pakistan part of erstwhile undivided India.
She chose a path of growing up as an independent mind and a soul who wanted to make a difference.
She broke the stereotypes by choosing to complete her higher education as a PG with Teachers training. In those days in the1950’s, she was a lady who chose to finish her higher studies MA.BT against all odds.
She got married and came into a family where she was the “black sheep” because she was qualified, ambitious & wanted to make a difference and stand apart.
When I look back at it now & reflect on it from where we are all today, where the glass ceiling for the brave hearted aspiring women is still going strong. I really shudder to think of what she would have gone through then.
She was made of something special, to do what she chose to do against all odds. She was one of a kind who is a symbol of a soul who is committed to their purpose& dreams.
On her way through the journey of Life, she had some amazing friends who were her support system and go to soul mates. They were her back bone and strength; they were FRIENDS …real FRIENDS…
Some of my memories of her as a loving, caring mom, a committed educator that even today make me feel into her true being and what she showed up as, I get to understand her better now than ever …
As a headmistress of a government school, she would wake up at 4:00 am, travel 2 hours changing 3 buses and before she left, she would get our food, bags ready so we could leave for school in peace. Remember as part of the joint family system as she chose to work, we were her responsibility more than ever.
As my father also a teacher moved to Africa, she chose to come back to India to keep her government job, and it was us 3 me my brother and our Braveheart MOM. Another act which not many would even think of but here she was true to her spirit living for what she truly believed in.
She was Fearless ,Determined, Caring,& Committed to her purpose of work & her love for her family.
Through this story I also want to sign off by saying it is time we start supporting women for who they are and allow them to evolve and fly as they are made to live their dreams. My Dad even then was there for her and such men I salute and must also acknowledge him for being who he was, thanks Dad.
We sons, brothers, partners, friends need to be doing what many men are today doing JUST SUPPORT & ALLOW ASPIRING & INSPIRING WOMEN TO FOLLOW THEIR DREAMS…GIVE THEM RESPECT & A STATUS OF BEING EQUAL
I am a proud son of a Fearless & Awesome mother who made me who I am, someone who is daring, caring & honest.
To be honest I am not as daring as she was so I have a role model to look up to and lots to still catch up and learn … her being who she was and selflessly giving to those who mattered the most to her is something I take from her as her gift to me.
I always hope and pray that we have more mothers who can inspire us MEN to become an Equal opportunity, accepting & caring world.
Lovingly….. Rajiv